New degree focuses on population health

12-September-2002

The University of Wollongong is introducing a new degree that offers students the opportunity to study health issues as they affect whole sections of the population, and to work on ways to prevent illnesses rather than cure them. The Population Health program starts next year.

Students will learn about patterns of health and illness, key risks to health and how to reduce the risks. The program also has a strong practical component, with students spending half of their final year working in the field with community organisations that provide health programs.

Dr Heather Yeatman of UOW's Graduate School of Public Health described the course as providing an opportunity to study whole populations of people, and to work on ways to promote their health. "It will fill a gap that exists with the current focus on the health of individuals and curative measures," Dr Yeatman said.

"Increasingly, it is being seen as important to look at health issues in terms of identifying community problems, like the increasing number of overweight children, or the high incidence of diabetes and working on ways to prevent them."

Dr Yeatman said the students could spend one semester of their final year in work placements, in such organisations as area health services, community health centres, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, welfare agencies, rural health organisations and non-government organisations like the Cancer Council and Heart Foundation. The University's links with overseas universities meant that students also could do part of their program studying health programs in another country.

Students will be able to combine core subjects with a range of electives, from marketing and communications to informatics and even languages. "This is a wide field, and there is scope to mix and match subjects in related fields. For example, someone who is interested in the statistical side of population health might study informatics, while someone who wants to work with migrant groups might study a language."

Dr Yeatman said the feedback the University was getting about the course from senior public health officers and organisations had been extremely positive. "They like the focus the course is putting on developing professional skills. They believe the graduates from this course will ve very employable in their organisations," she said.

"We'll be training people to work on all kinds of community health programs, but also on policy development - developing policy to provide an environment where it is easier for people to make healthy choices."

Early entry to the program is available ­ students need to apply by 27th September 2002.

For more information, contact Dr Yeatman on 02 4221 3153.